Understanding Lectures

Preparation (pre-lecture)

• Look at the syllabus
• Reflect what has been presented in class thus far
• Quickly review your notes from last lecture
  • All three of the above things can be done quickly and easily if all information is stored in one place, such as Evernote
• Skim through the readings that are assigned for the lecture topic
  • Chapter headings and subheadings
  • Introductory chapter index
  • Conclusion or summary section at end of the chapter
  • Discussion questions at end of chapter

Practice (during lecture)

• The Cornell Method - A tried and true format for effective note-taking
• The Cornell Method - A slightly different format, but same general ideas as contained in above link
• Question-Evidence-Conclusion Structure - See bottom of page 6 for explanation of this strategy

Process (post-lecture)

• Summarize key concepts
  • Using the Cornell Method as a guide, review your notes and summarize the major ideas and concepts covered at the end of your notes
  • Your summary can be be done in written form or by making a concept/mind map.
• Compare notes
  • Find a friend or peer in your class and set up a time to meet and compare your lecture notes
    • Or create a shared notebook on Evernote
  • Take the time to notice the content of their notes
    • Differences in content
    • Differences in notetaking strategy (structure, abbreviations, etc)
  • Write down your observations (an organized, bulleted format is fine). Write a brief, two- to three-sentence reflection about how this exercise helped you think about your approach to note-taking.
• Elaborate and Expand:
  • Are you having difficulty understanding a particular concept? Are you curious about an idea that was discussed in class? Find out more by taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available via the Internet! There are a wealth of useful and relevant resources that you can access just by doing a Google or other browser search. Yes, you want to make sure the information is valid. Pay attention to the publishing individual, organization, or institution; if there is no reputable author attached to a source that you really like, do more searches until you come up with multiple sources that help to verify the content.
  • Find at least one source online that provides clarification and/or more information on the concept you wish to know more about.
    • Use your Webclipper to clip this source into a new note; you can also insert the link into a new note - see Tutorial 5 Capturing information for instructions.
    • Within this new note (in which you've webclipped your source or pasted the web link), write two to three sentences summarizing the ideas that you find relevant (i.e. that helped to clarify your thinking or enhanced or expanded on the original ideas).
    • Send this new note (via Evernote) to your instructor.